Unexpected application

I love stories like this - the application of simple lateral thinking that changes lives:

My wife and I discovered Dragon NaturallySpeaking about 8 years ago, and have been using it successfully ever since– not for dictation, but as a communication aid. My wife is deaf; her hearing loss began about 25 years ago (we are in our late 60’s) and she has become a skillful lip reader to compensate. That works pretty well in face-to-face communication, but is not helpful in many other situations, such as when we are driving; when I drive, I give her a side view, which isn’t clear enough.

I’ve made brackets to hold a laptop both in our car and motor home. I use a lapel mike to speak; NaturallySpeaking transcribes what I say. She reads what I’m saying, and then responds by voice. When we got this working, it was the first time in 15 years that we could converse on the road. We are now using version 9, having upgraded several times, and based on your report, we will watch for version 11!

From this post by David Pogue.

Thanks to Martin Apte for this story.

2 comments on “Unexpected application”

1. Heather Smith said:
   

   I just purchased Dragon Naturally Speaking and I use it while I am on the tread mill - it is an amazing tool!

   
   25 August 2008 at 10:55 pm
2. Zern said:
   

   Good to hear this Heather. I have this recurring fantasy of lying in bed with my eyes shut, “writing” a book.

   
   3 September 2008 at 1:42 am

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